Universal portable electronic device protector

ABSTRACT

A protector for portable electronic devices is disclosed, including a portfolio-style protective cover having device-capturing lugs attached to stretchable legs of an X-shaped frame capable of accommodating a wide variety of sizes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The development of devices incorporating electronic devices has beenexplosive over the past decade, resulting in many new genres ofbattery-powered products such as so-called “smart phones,” electronicreaders, and, more recently, the Apple iPad® and Kindle Fire® tabletcomputers. All such devices are relatively lightweight and portable,owing to the miniaturization of electronic components and circuitry. Oneshortcoming of such small scale is that the circuitry is relativelyfragile and so subject to damage by, for example, impact with a hardsurface caused by dropping and/or exposure to moisture. There istherefore a need in the art for protection of such devices from suchdamage. This need is met by the present invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a protector forportable electronic devices that has a number of unique and usefulfeatures that protect such devices from damage and provide support foroperating such devices from a desktop or similar flat surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-2 are plan views of exemplary protectors of the inventionfeaturing expandable corner bumpers or lugs to accommodate a widevariety of sizes.

FIGS. 3-4 are top perspective views of exemplary folio protectors of theinvention opened to receive an electronic device P such as an AppleiPad® tablet computer, and also having expandable corner bumpers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings, wherein the same numerals generally refer tothe same elements, there is shown in FIGS. 1-2 a planar generallyrectangular backing 9 having attached thereto by gluing or sewing anexpandable four-legged frame comprising four stretchable or elastic legs22 having attached to the end of each leg a bumper or lug 24. The fourlegs 22 of the frame extend radially outwardly and are oriented in anX-shaped configuration relative to each other, and are attached tobacking 9. Legs 22 are stretchable longitudinally outwardly toward thefour corners of backing 9, as illustrated by the arrows in FIGS. 1-2.Legs 22 terminate in four resilient bumpers or lugs 24 with two pairs oflugs diametrically opposed to each other, the lugs being in an arcuateshape so as to capture the four corners of electronic device P. Apreferred material for lugs 24 is silicone rubber.

Referring to FIGS. 3-4, the frame may also be secured to a foldableportfolio cover 1 designed to accept an electronic device P, the covercomprising a foldable folio having a top 10, a bottom 11 and a spine 12.The top 10 and bottom 11 preferably comprise a three-ply lamination of asoft layer on the inside of the folio that is in contact with theelectronic device P, a durable outside layer such as leather, and astiff middle layer to provide structural support to the top and bottomof the folio. Spine 12 preferably comprises only two plies so as tomaintain flexibility on opening and closing. The frame is preferablysecured to the portfolio cover 1 by gluing or sewing legs 22 to bottom11 in either of the arrangements shown in FIGS. 3-4. By virtue of theelasticity of legs 22, lugs 24 may be pulled outwardly in the directionof the arrows shown in FIGS. 3-4 to accommodate size variances inelectronic devices P.

Lugs 24 in all of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-4 also serve toabsorb shock in the event the electronic device P is struck or droppedonto a hard surface.

In all of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-4, the stretchable frame maybe overlaid with a soft material 13 attached either to backing 9 orportfolio cover bottom 11, which preferably is provided with cutouts 14to facilitate outward stretching of legs 22 and to expose lugs 24.

Thus, the protector of the invention may be secured to any of a widevariety of portable, generally rectangular electronic devices,including, without limitation, “smart phones,” e-readers, e-planners,e-calendars, and e-tablets such as the Apple iPad® or Kindle Fire® toprotect the device while maintaining easy access to the device by theuser.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in this specificationare used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, andthere is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions toexclude equivalents of the features shown and described or portionsthereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is definedand limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A protector for generally rectangular electronicdevices comprising: (a) an expandable four-legged frame secured to agenerally planar rectangular backing having four corners; (b) the fourlegs of said frame being elastic and oriented in a generally X-shapedconfiguration relative to each other; and (c) resilient corner-engagingarcuate lugs integral with each of said four legs.
 2. The protector ofclaim 1 wherein said frame is X-shaped with said legs intersecting eachother and is secured to said backing at the intersection of said legs.3. The protector of claim 1 wherein said frame is X-shaped with saidlegs having discontinuities.
 4. The protector of claim 1 wherein saidlegs are stretchable longitudinally outwardly toward said four corners.5. The protector of claim 4 wherein said frame is overlaid with a softmaterial attached to said backing.
 6. The protector of claim 5 whereinsaid overlaid soft material is generally rectangular and has cutouts inits four corners to expose said lugs.
 7. The protector of any of claims2-6 incorporated into a foldable portfolio cover.